Sam Ojie embarks on his second season as assistant coach on the LSU volleyball staff. He will handle match preparation and scouting along with assisting with player development, training and recruiting.

Ojie is a veteran tactician with 14 years of experience as an assistant coach. He aided LSU’s blocking improvement during the 2012 season where Desiree Elliott and Khourtni Fears ranked among the SEC’s Top 10 during league matches.

Most recently before joining the Tigers, Ojie spent a five-year stint at Oklahoma where he worked with on and off-campus recruiting as well as scouting and match preparation. The Sooners racked up 96 victories and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments highlighted by a Sweet 16 run in 2010 before being eliminated by eventual national champion Penn State.

Sallie McLaurin garnered 2010 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and 2011 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Both Boulavsky and McLauren also were named AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, while Carlee Roethlisberger secured Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2011.

Prior to Oklahoma, Ojie spent the 2006 season at Georgia. He worked with the outside hitters, and Maria Taylor finished second among all SEC players with a 4.52 kills per set average.

As an assistant at UCF during 2004 and 2005 seasons, Ojie also assumed interim head coaching duties as Meg Colado was on maternity leave for all but two matches of the 2004 campaign. Two UCF players secured All-Atlantic Sun honors that year.

Ojie began his coaching career at Tulane from 1999-2003. The Green Wave had four hitters collect All-Conference USA citations. Tulane averaged 15.33 kills per set and the team’s hitting percentage increased by 25 points during his five seasons.

Before joining Tulane's staff, Ojie compiled a prolific playing career for Hainaut Volley of Valenciennes in France, Mizuno Mallory based out of London and the Ivory Coast Abidjan University Club. He led his Hainaut squad in 1998 to a Division III title, thanks to his offensive and blocking skills. The Mizuno squad went undefeated in both seasons with the club, while the Ivory Coast media recognized him as Abidjan University’s most outstanding player in 1992.

Ojie, a native of Nigeria who is fluent in three languages, graduated from the Command Second School in 1985. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree and received his associate's degree in applied business while at Tulane in 2003.